The goal of my work is to create enigmatic imagery through a combination of beauty and repellence. My pieces centre around the human form: the articulation and abstraction of limbs, and the interaction of figures with each other, their surroundings and the viewer. Incorporated in my imagery are objects which mimic both the natural and fabricated world. These objects reference my experiences and philosophies and are becoming elements of my personal iconography. My work is a post-modern collage of disparate, almost random elements, which set up psychological tensions inviting the viewer to be engaged emotionally, psychologically and intellectually.
I currently work within Studio Surette specializing in raku-fired ceramics, which affords continuingly exciting challenges through the manipulation of glazes and the firing process. Using our own clay recipe and innovative firing techniques allows me to experiment with larger forms within each tile section of wall mural.
Ceramics as art and craft is securely linked to both the functional and symbolic, and in that sense I think there is a strong importance on both the visual and tactile texturing of the clay, one which I continue to incorporate in my imagery. Within my work I combine elements of drawing, painting and sculpture, impressing into, building up and carving out my surfaces, on top of which I attach separately constructed figures. By juxtaposing elements of the natural world and referencing architectural structures through my tile shapes, and columnar and building forms, I acknowledge a modern human tension between industrial and non-industrial space.
